YOUNG PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY FEATURE IN NATIONAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
Young people with a learning disability will feature in a national TV, radio and print advertising campaign which aims to raise £300,000 for learning disability charity Mencap.
Procter and Gamble products available at Co-operative Food and Co-operative Pharmacy stores will help raise funds for Mencap and sister charity ENABLE Scotland as part of The Co-operatives Charity of the Year Partnership. The promotion will run for six weeks from Wednesday 3 August in Co-operative Food and Pharmacy stores nationwide and Procter and Gamble will donate 3 pence on each product sold from over 20 of their brands, including Fairy, Herbal Essence and Pampers, to the charity.
Ellen Goodey, Ben Morse, Kirstie Andrews, Matthew McCarthy and Dharmesh Ladd from Mencap were filmed carrying out everyday tasks like any other young people. A recent poll by Mencap revealed that a large percentage of the public (41 per cent) believe that the number of people with a disability who they have seen, heard or read about in the media does not reflect that of society as a whole. Encouragingly, 44 per cent of the public are keen to see, hear or read more about people with disabilities in the media than there are at the moment
Geraldine Huse, Sales General Manager for P&G in the UK & Ireland believes this partnership is incredibly worthwhile: "Mencap do outstanding work and P&G is delighted to partner again with The Co-operative Food for their Charity of the year programme. We are proud to bring the strength and reach of our brands and marketing capability to help raise awareness and much needed funds for this great cause.”
Mark Goldring, Mencap’s chief executive, said: "This advert is an exciting and bold step towards a more inclusive society. We need to see more positive role models of people like Ellen, Ben, Kirstie, Matthew and Dharmesh on our TVs and in public life to help remove the stigmas associated with disability.”
Money raised through The Co-operative Charity of the Year partnership will allow Mencap and ENABLE Scotland to launch a ground-breaking programme called Inspire Me. Inspire Me will work with thousands of young people with a learning disability aged 16 - 25, their parents and carers, and local communities, to overcome the exclusion and prejudice that many face in their lives. The project will do this by providing activities and training, together with volunteering and employment opportunities.
Mencap has worked with Grey London and Smuggler to produce the advert.
Please see the advert
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Mencap’s Snap! Competition- Previews Of Winning Images Released
samedifference1, August 4, 2011
Mencap have today released six preview winning images from this year’s Snap!, their annual film and photography competition, following the judging last month.
The judging for the competition, which is sponsored by FUJIFILM UK Ltd and The Sorrell Foundation, took place in July at Somerset House in London’s West End. The panel of 11 judges included journalist Kate Spicer, Lady Frances Sorrell, creative director Gary Harvey, two members of Mencap’s learning disability panel; Lorainne Bellamy and Dean Meuleman, and former Snap! 2010 winners, John and Shauna Hogan.
Kate Spicer comments: "The quality of the photographs is improving every year, and the stories they tell have real depth and impact. I loved the opportunity to look at every single entrant’s story, not just the winner’s, it’s a privilege.”
The panel sifted through over 600 strong entries to pick 32 photographs and four films as this year’s winners. These will be awarded prizes ranging from gold down to highly commended in the different categories.
To give a tantalising glimpse of the standard of the winning entries, Mencap have today released six preview images. These range from one entry entitled ‘True friendship’, a moving photo in the My heroes category of two friends who both have a learning disability to an entry in the My achievements category called ‘My mum says I’m sociable now!’ The latter is an engaging image of six year old Sebastian who has autism, settling into his after school club after initial difficulties.
Stacey Foster’s entry of ‘True friendship’ reads: "This is my very special friend from the day centre we attend. Even though I can’t speak it doesn’t bother him and he makes me smile and he makes me laugh every time I see him.”
Mencap’s head of communications, Sarah Bernard, says: "We’ve had some incredible entries in this year’s Snap. I think the judges have done a great job in choosing a selection of images which show a range of styles and subject matters. The preview images give people a taste of the great standard they can expect to see at the awards ceremony in September. People with a learning disability often face barriers in communicating with others; these images show a fantastic and creative insight into their world.”
The remaining 30 winners will be revealed at the prestigious celebrity awards ceremony on 13 September 2011 at London’s Rich Mix arts centre in Shoreditch. After the ceremony there will be a winner’s exhibition firstly at Fuji’s headquarters in Bedford and later at the Rich Mix gallery.
To view the six preview images go to www.mencap.org.uk/node/12897
Snap! is sponsored by FUJIFILM UK Ltd and The Sorrell Foundation.
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Snap! preview gallery 2011
Winners will be announced in September, but here you can preview six of the winning photo entries!
My laboratory byJamie Shave Category: My Challenges
I have autism and ADHD. As well as problems with learning and socialising I also have sensory processing problems. I prefer small spaces and textures when playing. This is my laboratory under my trampoline where I play with the mud and become an inventor. I love mud and water.
Do you wanna be a rapper? bySerhat Uysal
Category: My Challenges
When I have the mic I feel free… One of my teachers calls me 50p…
My mum says I'm sociable now! byDebbie Pettit
Category: My Achievements
My name is Sebastian and I have autism. I didn't like my after-school group at first and used to cry… Mummy promised me she would always collect me first and be early. I now ask her to be the last mummy to collect. Mummy says that's being sociable. I just know that I want to stay as long as possible at Treetops After School Club.
True friendship by Stacey Foster
Category: My Heroes
This is my very special friend from the day centre we attend. Even though I can't speak it doesn't bother him and he makes me smile and he makes me laugh every time I see him. If I am feeling sad he comes over to make me happy. He greets me at the door when I arrive at the day centre in the morning and waves me goodbye when I am coming home, he sits with me at lunchtimes. He is my true hero.
24-hr race (Villars, Switzerland) byPolly Walker
Category: My Achievements
This is me on a chairlift during the 24-hour ski race in Villars. It is a big charity race for Disability Snowsport. I love the photo and I loved doing the race. I have done the race lots of times and it is always great fun!
Sale at the tuck shop byChris Skinner
Category: My Achievements
This is me, Chris Skinner. I am 58 years of age on July 14th 2011. I am a volunteer at the Pets Corner Cafe in Astley Park, Chorley, Lancashire. I volunteer April to September as I don't like working in the cold winters. You will find me here every afternoon, making brews, selling lots of sweets and ice cream. My pictures show me at work. I call this one 'Sale at the Tuck Shop'. I like it when there are lots of people in the park. They always make me laugh. Janice or Sue helps me with the money.